Of Mice and Men and Cedalion
So, this weekend in Anaheim (home of Disneyland), the D23 Expo is taking place. Dedicated to All Things Disney, this show will feature Marvel Comics for the first time, with appearances by Joe Quesada, Kevin Feige, and Marvel creators. Joe Quesada will be hosting a panel on Sunday, at 10:15 AM. I hope someone pulls a "Batgirl" and questions Mr. Quesada about the "legends" of Marvel, and how Marvel honors their contributions to Marvel's legacy. Given the concentrated nature of the fan-fest at "The Happiest Place on Earth", it is very unlikely. So I'll ask them here!
Continue ReadingInside the brand spankin’ new DC West Coast Offices
Yesterday marked the first day at the official offices for DC Entertainment West, in Burbank, at a swanky new building called The Pointe. How swanky? It's got an extra "e"on the end for super-swank. DC's SVP Hank Kanalz was very excited about the day: I cannot describe the excitement we all have on day one. Positively electric! And well he should be. After looking at a series of pictures he tweeted, you can see that the DC west coast office, complete with archives and bullpen, is now the new and shiny HQ for all things DC. Let's take a tour, shall we?
Continue ReadingWildStorm: The last lunch
It's a week of changes for DC. The last remnants of those who are moving West have packed up shop, and the WildStorm offices in La Jolla are closing for good, ending nearly 20 years of history, innovation and comics. To mark the event, an alumni lunch was held. Apparently the turnout was insane. The final group shot awaits, but above is a sampling, with Hank Kanalz, John Nee, and Carla and Jim Lee. Jim Lee tweeted:
Continue ReadingDC’s New 52 promo video with Lee and Morrison promises us NEW things
Seeing as how it was somehow unearthed by Bleeding Cool, there is no way of knowing where this video featuring all of DC's major editorial players save Geoff John talking about the relaunch was created for. It's definitely aimed at consumers, but the actual venue we may never know. Or it may never have been released. The video shows Dan DiDio, Jim Lee, Eddie Berganza, Bob Harras, and special guest star Grant Morrison each uttering the word "new" about 30 times each. Our impressions is that they want us to know that this is a NEW initiative and a NEW way of doing things. It's NEW.
Continue ReadingThe week in preview
It's been a furious few weeks of action here at Stately Beat Manor and around the comics intertubes as everyone scrambles to cover the DC Relaunch and What It Means. I've been as obsessed as anyone, although some of the fruits of my labor have yet to be posted. And of course, San Diego Comic-Con is just around the corner (less than four weeks) so things are about to get even busier and even crazier is such a thing is possible. And it is.
Continue ReadingDC Entertainment gets shiny new Burbank offices
DC Entertainment is an important part of the Warners Stable, and although they won't be headquartered on the lot, they are getting offices in a swanky new building just up the street, THR reports. An unnamed number of employees will be moving into the second floor of The Pointe, at 2900 Alameda Ave., conveniently located between the Warners lot and the Disney lot and catty-corner to NBC.
Continue ReadingWhat does GREEN LANTERN’s box-office mean for DC Entertainment?
Meanwhile, back at the box office, GREEN LANTERN debuted at #1 with $52.6 million, less than THOR and even X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. As the Times put it: "An all-hands-on-deck effort by Warner Brothers to turn “Green Lantern” into a box office superpower fizzled over the weekend." With a budget of a reported $300 million, dreadful reviews and a big Friday-to-Saturday drop-off, GL's task as the advance guard for a new generation of movies based on DC characters has been made much more difficult.
Continue ReadingJMS: “Reboot was DiDio’s dream”
On his Facebook page, JMS praises DC's plan to relaunch its superhero line and gives a hint of the backstory.
Continue ReadingPoint/Counterpoint: Readers speak on DCU changes
[Earlier today we ran an essay by longtime Beat contributor Mark Coale on The DC Flashpoint Reboot. In it he stated he was going to stop reading DC entirely. In the interests of fairness, we reached out to find readers who are excited about the changes. We've gotten several great responses and we'll run them over the next day or so. And yes we'll get back to non-DC news very very soon!}
Continue ReadingDC’s new line: What we know, what we’re saying
Why is it that the biggest news always happens right after a holiday weekend? 18 months ago, it was Disney buying Marvel after Labor Day; this time, it's the biggest editorial readjustment at a superhero comics company EVER: DC's just announced plan to launch 52 new #1 issues in September, with changed or adjusted characters, costumes and and origins. Here's what you need to know, the confirmed and the speculation. First, what we know: The whole new line up will be announced on Monday, June 13th, when the Previews for that month is released. Until then, expect to see breaking news in national news outlets and on The Source.
Continue ReadingFirst look at the entire, new, high-collared JLA
The complete image of the new Johns-Lee rebooted JLA has surfaced (apparently at IGN) and it's clear that we have a "Big Seven" of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. Most of the new costumes involved higher collars. Superman has a new logo and no trunks over his tights. There are lots of other details, but when we mentioned earlier that these characters looked about the same we meant it -- these are tweaks on the traditional (Super Friends, licensing) looks for these characters, not huge changes.
Continue ReadingCreators and retailers respond to the huge DC news
From around the Twitterverse, an array of reactions to DC's news that they are reboot their line in September and going to simultaneous digital release. New comics universes are a dime a dozen, but the digital news is really a game changer -- it's hard not to see every other publishers following suit quickly. The next big announcement for this move would seem to be June 11, when Jim Lee and Geoff Johns are expected to "drop bombshells" at the Hero Complex Film Festival. Although HeroesCon, one of the bigger shows on the circuit, is this weekend, there are no official DC panels so no big announcements. Executive Editor Eddie Berganza is attending however, so catch him on the bar and hope he didn't sign an NDA.
Continue ReadingThe New DCU: Bob Wayne tells retailers about day-and-date
Traditionally, digital comics have been to comics retailers what kryptonite was to Superman -- something to be feared and avoided. And DC's Bob Wayne has been in the forefront of keeping retailers happy, to the point of shutting down many initiatives over the years that might have ruffled their feathers and caused them to order fewer DC Comics.
Continue ReadingIt’s official: DC takes the ultimate step and relaunches 50 titles, including digital release
After a few weeks of buzz and speculation -- or merely simple detective work based on the very final sounding August DC solicits -- it's been announced:DC is revamping its entire line this September with new versions of classic characters and 50 new #1 titles, USA Today reports.
Continue ReadingThe most important things you need to know today about comics, Part II: Kirby and Moebius edition
What is the greatest convention moment of all time? It might just be described in this post!
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